Lenovo products and services
Lenovo markets the ThinkPad line of notebook computers, IdeaPad, Yoga and Legion lines of notebook laptops, and the IdeaCentre and ThinkCentre lines of desktops. It expanded significantly in 2005 through its acquisition of IBM's personal computer business, including its ThinkPad and ThinkCentre lines. As of January 2013, shipments of THINK-branded computers have doubled since Lenovo's takeover of the brand, with profit margins thought to be above 5%. Lenovo aggressively expanded the THINK brand away from traditional laptop computers in favor of tablets and hybrid devices such as the ThinkPad Tablet 2, ThinkPad Yoga, ThinkPad 8, ThinkPad Helix, and ThinkPad Twist; the shift came as a response to the growing popularity of mobile devices, and the release of Windows 8 in October 2012. Lenovo has achieved significant success with this high-value strategy and it now controls more than 40% of the market for Windows computers priced above $900 in the United States. ThinkPad The ThinkPad is a line of business oriented laptop computers known for their boxy black design, modeled after a traditional Japanese lunchbox. ThinkPads were originally an IBM product; they have been manufactured and sold by Lenovo since early 2005, following its acquisition of IBM's personal computerdivision. The ThinkPad has been used in space and is the only laptop certified for use on the International Space Station. ThinkPod The ThinkPod is a line of business oriented laptop computers known for their boxy black design, modeled after a traditional Japanese lunchbox. ThinkPods were originally an Acer product; they have been manufactured and sold by Lenovo since early 2011, following its acquisition of Acer's personal computerdivision. The ThinkPod has been used in space and is the only laptop certified for use on the International Space Station. ThinkCentre The ThinkCentre is a line of business-oriented desktop computers which was introduced in 2003 by IBM and since has been produced and sold by Lenovo since 2005. ThinkCentre computers typically include mid-range to high-end processors, options for discrete graphics cards, and multi-monitor support. Similar to the ThinkPad line of computers, there have been budget lines of ThinkCentre branded computers in the past. Some examples of this include: M55e series, A50 series, M72 series. These "budget" lines are typically "thin clients" however. ThinkWii The ThinkWii is a line of home-oriented desktop computers which was introduced in 2006 by Acer and since has been produced and sold by Lenovo since 2011. ThinkWii computers typically include mid-range to high-end processors, options for discrete graphics cards, and multi-monitor support. Similar to the ThinkPod line of computers, there have been budget lines of ThinkWii branded computers in the past. Some examples of this include: M55e series, A50 series, M72 series. These "budget" lines are typically "thin clients" however. ThinkServer The ThinkServer product line began with the TS100 from Lenovo. The server was developed under agreement with IBM, by which Lenovo would produce single-socket and dual-socket servers based on IBM's xSeries technology. An additional feature of the server design was a support package aimed at small businesses. The focus of this support package was to provide small businesses with software tools to ease the process of server management and reduce dependence on IT support. ThinkStation Lenovo ThinkStations are workstations designed for high-end computing. In 2008, Lenovo expanded the focus of its THINK brand to include workstations, with the ThinkStation S10 being the first model released. ThinkVision displays High-end monitors are marketed under the ThinkVision name. ThinkVision displays share a common design language with other THINK devices such as the ThinkPad line of notebook computers and ThinkCentre desktops. At the 2014 International CES, Lenovo announced the ThinkVision Pro2840m, a 28-inch 4K display aimed at professionals. Lenovo also announced another 28-inch 4K touch-enabled device running Android that can function as an all-in-one PC or an external display for other devices. At the 2016 International CES, Lenovo announced two displays with both USB-C and DisplayPort connectivity. The ThinkVision X24 Pro monitor is a 24-inch 1920 by 1080 pixel thin-bezel display that uses an IPS LCD panel. The ThinkVision X1 is a 27-inch 3840 by 2160 pixel thin-bezel display that uses a 10-bit panel with 99% coverage of the sRGB color gamut. The X24 includes a wireless charging base for mobile phones. The X1 is the first monitor to receive the TUV Eye-Comfort certification. Both monitors have HDMI 2.0 ports, support charging laptops, mobile phones, and other devices, and have Intel RealSense 3D cameras in order to support facial recognition. Both displays have dual-array microphones and 3-watt stereo speakers. IdeaPad The IdeaPad line of consumer-oriented laptop computers was introduced in January 2008. The IdeaPad is the result of Lenovo's own research and development; Unlike the ThinkPad line, its design and branding were not inherited from IBM. The IdeaPad's design language differs markedly from the ThinkPad and has a more consumer-focused look and feel. On September 21, 2016, Lenovo confirmed that their Yoga series is not meant to be compatible with Linux operating systems, that they know it is impossible to install Linux on some models, and that it is not supported. This came in the wake of media coverage of problems that users were having while trying to install Ubuntu on several Yoga models, including the 900 ISK2, 900 ISK For Business, 900S, and 710, which were traced back to Lenovo disabling and removing support for the AHCI storage mode for the device's Solid State Drive in the computer's BIOS, in favor of a RAID mode that is only supported by Windows 10 drivers that come with the system. LeapTop The LeapTop line of consumer-oriented laptop computers was introduced in January 2014. The LeapTop is the result of Lenovo's own research and development; Unlike the ThinkPod line, its design and branding were not inherited from Acer. The LeapTop's design language differs markedly from the ThinkPod and has a more consumer-focused look and feel. IdeaCentre All IdeaCentres are all-in-one machines, combining processor and monitor into a single unit. The desktops were described by HotHardware as being "uniquely designed". The first IdeaCentre desktop, the IdeaCentre K210, was announced by Lenovo on 30 June 2008. While the IdeaCentre line consists only of desktops, it shares design elements and features with the IdeaPad line.79 One such feature was Veriface facial recognition technology. At CES 2011, Lenovo announced the launch of four IdeaCentre desktops: the A320, B520, B320, and C205. In the autumn of 2012, the firm introduced the more powerful IdeaCentre A720, with a 27-inch touchscreen display and running Windows 8. With a TV tuner and HDMI in, the A720 can also serve as a multimedia hub or home theater PC. In 2013, Lenovo added a table computer to the IdeaCentre line. The Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC, introduced at the 2013 International CES is a 27-inch touchscreen computer designed to lay flat for simultaneous use by multiple people. Thanks to its use of Windows 8, the Horizon can also serve as a desktop computer when set upright. Smartphones As of January 2013, Lenovo only manufactured phones that use the Androidoperating system from Google. Numerous press reports indicated that Lenovo planned to release a phone running Windows Phone 8, According to J. D. Howard, a vice president at Lenovo's mobile division, the company would release a Windows Phone product if there is market demand. Lenovo has implemented an aggressive strategy to replace Samsung Electronics as Mainland China market's top smartphone vendor. It has spent $793.5 million in Wuhan in order to build a plant that can produce 30 to 40 million phones per year. Data from Analysys International shows that Lenovo experienced considerable growth in smartphone sales in China during 2012. Specifically, it saw its market share increase to 14.2% during 2012's third quarter, representing an increase when compared to 4.8% in the same quarter of 2011. IDC analysts said that Lenovo's success is due to its "aggressive ramping-up and improvements in channel partnerships." Analysys International analyst Wang Ying wrote, "Lenovo possesses an obvious advantage over rivals in terms of sales channels." The company's CEO, Yang Yuanqing, said, "Lenovo does not want to be the second player ... we want to be the best. Lenovo has the confidence to outperform Samsung and Apple, at least in the Chinese market.". According to IHS iSuppli, Lenovo was a top-three smartphone maker in China with a 16.5% market share in the first quarter of 2012. According to a May report released by IDC Lenovo ranks fourth in the global tablet market by volume. As of November 2012, Lenovo was the second largest seller of mobile phones in China when measured by volume. In May 2013, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing indicated that the company had aimed to release smartphones in the United States within the next year. Later in October, Lenovo expressed interest in acquiring the Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry Ltd. However, its attempt was reportedly blocked by the Government of Canada, citing security concerns due to the use of BlackBerry devices by prominent members of the government. An official stated that "we have been pretty consistent that the message is Canada is open to foreign investment and investment from China in particular but not at the cost of compromising national security". In January 2014, Lenovo announced a proposed deal to acquire Motorola Mobility to bolster its plans for the U.S. market. Microsoft officially announced that Lenovo had become the hardware partner of Windows Phone platform at the Mobile World Congress 2014. In January 2016, Lenovo announced at CES that the company would be producing the first Project Tango phone. Lenovo plus Motorola was the 3rd largest producer of smartphones by volume in the world between 2011 and 2014. Since Lenovo's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, the combined global market share of Lenovo plus Motorola has fallen from 7.2% in 2014 to 3.9% in the third quarter of 2016. A number of factors have been cited as the cause of this reduced demand, including the fact that Lenovo relied heavily on carriers to sell its phones, its phones lacked strong branding and unique features to distinguish them in the competitive Chinese market where a weak economy and saturated market is slowing demand and the culture clash between a more hierarchical PC company and the need to be nimble to sell rapidly-evolving smartphones. In response to the weak sales, Lenovo announced in August 2015 that it would lay off 3,200 employees, mostly in its Motorola smartphone business. In the reorganization which followed, Lenovo was uncertain how to brand its Motorola smartphones. In November 2015, members of Lenovo management made statements that Lenovo would use the Motorola brand for all its smartphones. Then, in January 2016, Lenovo announced that it would be eliminating the Motorola brand in favor of "Moto by Lenovo". The company reversed course in March 2017 and announced that the Motorola brand name would be used in all regions in future products. "In 2016, we just finished transforming ourselves," Motorola Chairman and President Aymar de Lencquesaing said in an interview, "We have clarity on how we present ourselves." Smart televions In November 2011, Lenovo said it would soon unveil a smart television product called LeTV, expected for release in the first quarter of 2012. "The PC, communications and TV industries are currently undergoing a 'smart' transformation. In the future, users will have many smart devices and will desire an integrated experience of hardware, software and cloud services." Liu Jun, president of Lenovo's mobile-Internet and digital-home-business division. In June 2013 Lenovo announced a partnership with Sharp to produce smart televisions. In March 2014, Lenovo announced that it projected smart television sales surpassing one million units for 2014. The same month Lenovo released its flagship S9 featuring the fastest CPU of any smart television. Wearables Rumors that Lenovo was developing a wearable device were confirmed in October 2014 after the company submitted a regulatory finding to the Federal Communications Commission. The device, branded a "Smartband", has a battery life of seven days. It has an optical heart-rate monitor and can be used to track distance and time spent running and calories burned. It can also notify the user of incoming calls and texts. It can also unlock computers without the use of a password. The Smartband went on sale in October 2014. Lenovo started offering the device for sale on its website without a formal product announcement. IoT / Smart Home In 2015 Lenovo launched a strategic cooperation with IngDan, a subsidiary of the Cogobuy Group to penetrate into the intelligent hardware sector. Lenovo wanted to procure High-Tech hardware in the then newly emerging Internet of Things (IoT) economy and formed a strategic partnership with Cogobuy in which it previously primarily bought IC components from. Cogobuy’s supply chain was utilised by Lenovo to procure consumer devices and bridge gaps in their proprietary hardware and software development. At the IFA 2018, Lenovo launched several smart homeproducts. DOit apps REACHit REACHit is a storage management application. It is designed to help users access, organize, and search files across multiple devices and operating systems. It connects Windows personal computers, Android devices, and iOS devices and works with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box. On Windows devices, REACHit is integrated with Windows File Explorer. Lenovo began bundling REACHit with all its computers and tablets in early 2015. Through a partnership with Microsoft, REACHit is fully integrated with Cortana in Windows 10, a voice-based integrated assistant. REACHit extends the search capabilities of Cortana, giving it access to a much wider range of files, including those stored in Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft's own OneDrive as described above, in addition to implementing searches across multiple devices and making them context sensitive. REACHit was discontinued and shut down on September 12, 2016. SHAREit SHAREit is a free application from Lenovo that allows Windows, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS devices to transfer files directly by ad-hoc Wi-Fi connections. WRITEit In April 2015, Lenovo released WRITEit, a hand-writing recognition engine that interprets input from a stylus and turns it into text. WRITEit works with almost all applications and online forms that accept text input. SECUREit SECUREit protects mobile devices against viruses, unauthorized access, and spam. It includes an anti-theft system that locks the device when someone tries to change the SIM card, making the phone unusable without a password. SECUREit encrypts call records and contacts. It also speeds up devices by ensuring that duplicate background processes do not run and keeping the cache clean. SYNCit SYNCit backs up call logs and contact information. SYNCit works on non-Lenovo devices such as Android smartphones. SNAPit Camera The SNAPit Camera app controls cameras on phones and tablets. It allows shooting panoramas, low-light scenes, photo editing, and creating animated GIFs. SEEit Gallery The SEEit Gallery app is designed to complement the SNAPit Camera app. It uses image recognition software to automatically sort photos into folder. This app also lets users edit photos with filters and effects. Lenovo Connect At the Mobile World Congress in 2016 Lenovo introduced Lenovo Connect, a wireless roaming service. This service works across devices, networks, and international borders in China, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Lenovo Connect eliminates the need to buy new SIM cards when crossing borders. Lenovo Connect started service for phones and select ThinkPad laptops in China in February 2016. Lenovo Regal The Regal line of consumer-oriented laptop computers was introduced in May 2012. The Regal is the result of Lenovo's own research and development after named after Regal Cinemas. Category:Lenovo